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Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson, Kathryn Hahn ... see more see more... , Mark Linn-Baker , Lenny Venito , Molly Price , Ron McLarty , Shelley Conn , Domenick Lombardozzi , John Tormey , Teyonah Parris , Tony Shalhoub , Dean Norris , Donna Dundon , Cyrus Newitt , William Blagrove , Andrew Wilson , David Gregory , Yuki Matsuzaki , Bill McKinley , Jim Bouton , Tara Subkoff , Mary Gallagher

Director James L. Brooks returns to the helm for this ensemble comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson, which centers on the story of a passionate athlete who fin... read more read more...ds herself romantically torn between a narcissistic baseball star and a straight-laced businessman. As far back as Lisa (Witherspoon) can remember, her life has been defined by sports. Then, in the blink of an eye, she's cut from the team. With her identity in crisis as she attempts to regain her footing in life, Lisa begins dating Matty (Wilson), a Major League Baseball pitcher and notorious womanizer. Meanwhile, terminally honest businessman George (Rudd) finds himself on the road to financial ruin or worse after being wrongly implicated in a financial crime. As George struggles to clear his name and reconcile his turbulent relationship with his father, Charles (Nicholson), a chance meeting with Lisa at the lowest point in both of their lives leaves him optimistic that things may work out after all. Meanwhile, Lisa and George both realize that the only thing that's certain about the future is that we never know what fate has in store for us. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

24% liked it

38,811 ratings

Critics

32% liked it

144 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 1 min.

Directed by: James L. Brooks

Release Date: December 17, 2010

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DVD Release Date: March 22, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (2,764)

  • cosmo313
    July 10, 2011
    cosmo313
    Hmm, well, based on the talent involved, this had the possibility of being amazing. Considering the reception this film got, I was a little befuddled, but was hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

    Well, I've seen it now, and....the film is not terrible, just terribly mediocre. The ... read moremain issues are that the script is just dull, the characters aren't really all that interesting, and everyone just looks bored and uninspired...especially Jack, who pretty much just phones it in and plays himself, but goes by the name of Charles. Also, this film, like many of Brooks's, goes on far too long, but here it's not worth it because the film isn't all that interesting.

    It's not a complete loss though. Reese and Rudd are actually decent, and I kind of liked their characters, but I couldn't stand Wilson here. He's just too frustrating and a little of his character goes a long way. Plus, there are a few good scenes, but overall, this film just seems all over the place, messy, and in need of some revisions.

    If you feel you need to see this, then see it, but catch it on tv or something. There are far worse films that are just as sweet and well-meaning, but this one was just really came off all the worse because there's some great people involved.
  • CreedsDelight
    July 4, 2011
    CreedsDelight
    Lisa: Never drink to feel better; drink to feel even better.

    How Do You Know is the story of Lisa (played wonderfully by the beautiful Reese Witherspoon) who got cut from her professional softball team and confused about her relationship with major league pitcher Matty (played ... read moreby Owen Wilson in his usual knuckle-head and awkward role) and doesn't quite know what she's doing with her life. Enter corporate executive George (played by Paul Rudd in a surprisingly real and astounding performance), who is being investigated for something along with his father Charles (amazingly played by the legendary Jack Nicholson in another pitch-perfect role). The real scene stealer is Kathryn Hahn, who plays George's loyal, pregnant, and honest secretary Annie in her most hilarious role since 2008's hit comedy Step Brothers, where she played John C. Reily's love interest. Put all of this together, and we now have ourselves a James L. Brooks movie.

    Read the full review at www.CreedsDelight.com
  • LWOODS04
    July 2, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson, Jack Nicholson, Kathryn Hahn, Mark Linn-Baker, Lenny Venito, Molly Price, Shelley Conn, Tony Shalhoub

    Director: James L. Brooks

    Summary: Feeling spurned after being cut from the national team due to her age, newly single so... read moreftball player Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) finds herself in the middle of a heated love triangle, as a professional baseball player (Owen Wilson) and a business executive (Paul Rudd) compete for her affections.

    My Thoughts: "The film is a mess. It's such a disappointment because I had a little bit of high hopes considering the cast. I really don't understand what the film was suppose to be about. In the end, I think it was "How Do You Know", when you are in love. I loved the film 'Overnight Delivery', and I was hoping to catch a glimpse of that chemistry between Reese and Rudd again in this film. Unfortunately I think the writing put that spark out for this film. I did enjoy Paul and Kathryn's screen time. She was funny in the movie and those scenes are my favorite in the film. The rest is a blur that I will most likely never remember considering the film is forgettable."
  • jjnxn
    June 26, 2011
    jjnxn
    Lightweight but very sweet little comedy/drama with appealing players.
  • ythelastman89
    June 21, 2011
    ythelastman89
    How Do You Know is not really a great movie and doesn't warrant any attention, but it manages to have some really good moments and great characters. Reese Witherspoon at times felt like she was just being herself in real life and that sort've takes away from this being a movie, b... read moreut luckily Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd are good enough to pull you back in. Owen Wilson's ability to make even the slimiest of characters come off as charming and fun is a gift from the gods and makes for some really bizarre moments. You keep thinking you should hate this character, but he ends up being hilarious and almost mesmerizing in his tactics. Paul Rudd basically plays a generic good person, but it's actually one of the better performances he's given since his new found fame. Jack Nicholson's brief moments on screen are perfectly tailored to him and he's always fun to watch. It terms of story, this is definitely lacking something honest. So many of the monologues and dialogue comes off as forced, mostly with Reese Witherspoon's character, but at times it's interesting. If this was completely okay with being a romantic comedy, that would be fine. However, it tries to be something different half of the time and it messes with the tone and how you're supposed to take this as a movie.
  • wildaly14
    June 9, 2011
    wildaly14
    Cute romantic comedy with top-notch actors. I thought the comedy was better than the romance though.
  • DreamExtractor
    May 28, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    I can tell the actors tried hard, but this movie was horrible. It wasnt funny at all, I laughed once at a Bambi reference. It had such a random and pointless plot. The actors worked hard and I guess I respect their performances. It was a disaster of a movie, and I still hate ... read moreRomantic Comedies.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    April 26, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "Happiness in life is about... finding out what you want and learning how to ask for it."

    After being cut from the USA softball team and feeling a bit past her prime, Lisa finds herself evaluating her life and in the middle of a love triangle, as a corporate guy in crisis... read more competes with her current, baseball-playing beau.

    REVIEW

    James L. Brooks has given us some very fine films (Terms of Endearment, As Good As It Gets) and some mediocre (at best) ones - like Spanglish, The Simpsons Movie and numerous TV series. The odd thing about this much maligned How Do You Know is that it seems to be searching to find a reason for being mad - often to the point of feeling as though Brooks wrote the script as he went. For this viewer the film is not as bad as the audiences and critics say, but it is definitely one of Brooks' memorable works. The characters he created are for the most part losers who manage to get along in life because of an occult optimism. That part is refreshing.

    Lisa (Reese Witherspoon) is a much loved Pro Softball player whose ego is badly bruised when she is cut from the new team. She dates Matty (Owen Wilson), a wealthy major league baseball pitcher who is either horrifically naive or completely clueless when it comes to relating to Lisa. Concurrently we meet George (Paul Rudd), a bright but emotionally ill- equipped businessman who has just been indicted in his work for his father Charles's (Jack Nicholson) company - apparently for something he did not do. Just as this vulnerable guy needs support he is dumped by his girlfriend and must move out of his place to lesser digs with the help of his devoted assistant Annie (Kathryn Hahn) who is very pregnant but unwed. Lisa meets George on a date arranged by well-meaning friends, but Lisa is 'committed' to Matty. Some chemistry between Lisa and George develops, Matty makes moves to change and invites Lisa to move in, George and his father duel over the indictment, and finally the 'sort of love' triangle finds a shaky center and Pow! the movie is over.

    Witherspoon makes the best of her odd role and Paul Rudd restores some glory to his dwindling cinematic repertoire. Owen Wilson is Owen Wilson, and Jack Nicholson looks like he is one the wrong movie set. Part of this little film is smart, but it just never quite gels. How do we know? Just watch it with low expectations and be surprised here and there.
  • Chiefilms
    April 24, 2011
    Chiefilms
    No
  • fernandorafael
    April 23, 2011
    fernandorafael
    James L. Brooks, of Terms of Endearment and As Good as it Gets fame brings us his latest film, the painstakingly long (and painfully unfunny) How Do You Know. Romantic "comedy" is forced and nearly devoid of laughs (I must've laughed about three times). The promising cast didn't ... read moreentirely deliver: Jack Nicholson plays it exactly the same as he's done for the last ten years and usually stellar Paul Rudd is lackluster. On the other hand, Reese Witherspoon is amazing and Owen Wilson makes for a terribly endearing douchebag; their work deserved a better script. The closing scene is brilliant, but it's too little too late. Definitely one of the worst films of 2010.

View All How Do You Know Reviews

Critic Reviews

Bill Goodykoontz
August 12, 2011
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

Some of the bits are funny, every now and then they're sweet, the performances are OK and really, with this much talent involved, it's hard not to be disappointed in that. Full Review

Anthony Lane
December 28, 2010
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

Everything looks primed for civilized amusement, but somewhere along the way the laughs dropped off, together with the question mark in the title. Full Review

Dana Stevens
December 17, 2010
Dana Stevens, Slate

Brooks has given us the rare contemporary rom-com that's by turns (if intermittently) thoughtful and funny, and that doesn't feel focus-grouped, cynical, misogynist, or mean. It seems ungenerous not t... Full Review

Stephen Whitty
December 17, 2010
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

How do you know if a romantic comedy isn't working? Generally if it's neither especially romantic, nor particularly comic. And in this picture, no matter how many times he keeps coming up to bat, Broo... Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
December 17, 2010
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

How Do You Know isn't Brooks' best. Witherspoon is too uneasy in her role. But thanks to Rudd, plus Kathryn Hahn as... George's loyal secretary and Nicholson as his father, it delivers a number of del... Full Review

Rick Groen
December 17, 2010
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

It's been six years since the last James Brooks comedy, so we might have expected a little rust. But not this weathered thing -- How Do You Know is so oxidized it's stuck. Full Review

Tom Long
December 17, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

A thoroughly enjoyable and surprisingly lightweight romantic comedy from writer-director James L. Brooks. Full Review

Peter Rainer
December 17, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Witherspoon, whose movie characters often exhibit a whim of iron even though they have a Barbie twinkle, is well cast. Full Review

Richard Corliss
December 17, 2010
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

How Do You Know is not up there in Broadcast News's immortal empyrean, but it's close to the mismatched-trio comedy of As Good as It Gets. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
December 17, 2010
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

The product of an out-of-touch filmmaker that never really gets to second base. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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    • George: This stuff was invented by this man in Central Ohio as white goo ... used to remove soot off wall paper... when gas and electric heating came in there was no longer a need for the cleaning goo the guy was going under ... Joe McVicker, his sister in law was Kay Zufall. So Kay Zufall discovered that her kids liked squeezing the goo a lot more than hard modeling clay so she suggested to her brother in law Joe that they colour the stuff and call it play- doh ... So I have kept this for a long time as proof that we are all just one small adjustment away from making our lives work.
    • George: We are all just one small adjustment away from making our lives work.
    • Lisa: Never drink to feel better; drink to feel even better.
    • Matty: I went crazy when you left, I broke a lamp.
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How Do You Know Trivia

  • This is a quote from which film - "How do you know this is even related? You did a lot of things last summer." "Yeah, well, only one murder comes to mind." "You shut the hell up!"?   Answer »
  • Which movie starring Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron has the tagline: "How well do you know the one you love?" ?  Answer »
  • Quote from which film? - "How do you know this is even related? You did a lot of things last summer." "Yeah, well, only one murder comes to mind." "You shut the hell up!" (hint killer with a hook)   Answer »
  • Name the movie from the following quote: Edward Fletcher-Wooten: How do you know so much about so much? Nick Mercer: *I'm* a hooker.  Answer »
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